The Office of the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons
Mrs. Diahann Gordon Harrison, Jamaica’s
first National Rapporteur on Trafficking in
Persons, was appointed by the Executive arm
of the Government of Jamaica (the Cabinet)
on March 10, 2015 in that capacity. Though
appointed then, there was no structural
or budgetary support established and as
such, under the leadership of Mrs. Gordon
Harrison, one of the first items of business
was to secure some degree of support for
the performance of the expected functions,
in the form of both budgetary provision and
human resources. In this regard, there was
some modest success and in 2016 one (1)
member of staff was recruited and a start-up
budget (albeit small) was allotted to the Office
of the National Rapporteur on Trafficking
in Persons in April 2016; this effectively
marked the inception date of the Office of
the National Rapporteur on Trafficking
in Persons (ONRTIP).
ONRTIP’s core functions include:
1. Creating a more objective reporting system on the issue of trafficking in the country.
2. The authority to obtain from the relevant authorities, including the Director of Public Prosecutions and the TIP Unit in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, any information necessary to carry out her stated duties.
3. Conducting independent examinations/investigations of reports of alleged instances of human trafficking where the need arises.
4. Reporting on violations, wherever they may occur, of the rights of victims, as well as discrimination, threats or use of violence, harassment, intimidation or reprisals directed at persons exercising these rights.
5. Providing an analytical overview of the situation in trafficking in an annual report to the Government of Jamaica.
To contact the office click here.